5 Frugal Ways to Save Money

Are you looking for some frugal ways to save money? You’ve come to the right place. I’ve got five easy ways that you can do just that!

There is no way around it, human-ing is expensive. Between grocery bills, electric bills, and every other bill, you don’t even want to check your mailbox or email anymore! But, you can make simple changes that will help you keep more money in your pocket.

No matter if you’re just starting out on your frugal living journey or you’ve been at this for a while and you’re trying to learn something new, these are five, easy to follow, frugal ways to save money.

What Does Frugal Mean?

Let’s get one thing straight first – there is a big difference between frugal and cheap. Cheap is about saving money, no matter the outcome. Usually by being cheap, you end up with poor quality products and headaches that could have been avoided if you had just chosen to be frugal.

Frugal is about being intentional with your money. You’re willing to spend money, but you won’t spend it unnecessarily. That means you’ve done your research and you’ve picked out the best product for you with the highest quality. If you’ve got the time, or the luck, you could also get exactly what you want ON SALE.

What are those three little words The Frugal Dreamer loves to hear? It’s on sale!

Usually when you’re talking about saving money, you get judged for being cheap. Poppycock! You’re being frugal. Frugal people are really picky, but for good reason. I worked hard for that money and I won’t spend it unnecessarily!

*Softly jumps off sandbox* Okay, now we can get down to business.

Here’s your five frugal ways to save money TODAY.

Cancel Subscriptions

Subscriptions can be an amazing money saving tool. However, they can also absolutely drain your monthly budget. That’s why the first frugal way to save money is to cancel subscriptions.

There are two main reasons you would cancel a subscription.

1. You are not using it
2. It is not worth it

If you have a subscription that you’re not using, chances are that you forgot you’re even paying for it. This is why it’s so important to track your spending. By tracking your spending, you will catch all those subscriptions that you completely forgot about!

However, maybe you remembered that you’re paying for it, but you’re not really using it. If that’s the case, get rid of it dude. It’s just costing you money that you could be spending on something much more valuable.

Let’s say that you do have a subscription but you’re trying to decide if it’s worth it? That’s easy to find out. Do the math. Are you paying for a $30 car wash subscription that you only use once a month? Well, if one car wash cost $12, you’re wasting $18 a month! Also known as $216 a year!

If you’re using that same car wash subscription four times a month, you’re saving $18 a month, also known as $216 a year!

Sit down and do the math, determine if the subscription is worth it, cancel it if it’s not.

What are some subscriptions you might be able to get rid of?

• Streaming services
• Pandora/Spotify/Apple Music/YouTube Premium
• Newspaper delivery
• Magazine subscription
• Programs like Photoshop or Canva
• Grocery delivery subscription
• Car Wash Subscriptions
• Beauty boxes
• Clothing subscriptions
• Wine subscriptions
• Food subscriptions

There are literally A MILLION subscriptions out there – I’ve only named a few. What is one subscription you could cancel this month? Leave me a comment!

Shop at Reuse Stores

Reuse it stores have been historically associated with dirty, cockroach invested stores that only people in poverty regularly shop at. However, there are so many clean and organized reuse it stores around – you just have to know where to look.

So, the second frugal way to save money is to shop at reuse it stores.

Typically, when you hear the term “thrift store”, your brain immediately jumps to places like Salvation Army or Goodwill that only sell donated clothing. However, did you know that there are dozens of other reuse it stores that sell a variety of items for discounted prices.

What else can you find at reuse it stores?

• Furniture
• Home decor
• Children’s and baby clothes
• Tools
• Books
• Movies
• Beach chairs and coolers
• Household items
• Bedding
• Luggage
• Handbags
• Holiday decor
• Shoes
• Board games and puzzles
• Office supplies

This is just a small taste of all the items I’ve managed to score from reuse it stores over the years. Reuse it stores are stocked with items that people don’t want anymore. And just because someone doesn’t want it anymore doesn’t mean that it’s broken or dirty – it just wasn’t needed anymore. Which is great news for you because now it can have a second chance at life with you! Just think, how many things have you donated that had a lot of life left in them?

I’ve shopped at reuse it stores for so long that I forget how to shop at “normal” stores at this point! I’ve scored some pretty sweet deals too.

I think my favorite item I found at a thrift store was an old mirror that had perfectly preserved vintage newspapers from WWII stuffed in the back. I didn’t end up keeping the mirror but I framed the newspapers and now they’re hanging in my dining room!

What is your favorite item you’ve found at a reuse it store?

Borrow/Rent

Have you ever needed a very specific tool for a home project or a high-ticket item that you’ll only use one time? Don’t waste money on buying those items only for them to collect dust for the next decade.

The third frugal way to save money is to borrow or rent items instead of buying them.

My general rule of thumb is that I will borrow something two times before I break down and buy it. If I need it twice, it’s a rare instance. If I need it a third time, it’s not such a rare instance anymore.

But let’s say I don’t know anyone that I could borrow the item from, I’ll see if it’s available for rent from an online or local store.

What are some items that you can borrow from a friend?

• Tools
• Clothes
• Shoes
• Accesories
• Furniture
• Trailer
• Sports equipment
• Camping equipment

Renting is super helpful when it comes to very niche activities that you might only do one or two times. Are you going scuba diving in Mexico but don’t plan on doing it again? Scuba equipment is expensive so opt to rent that equipment instead of buying it.

Do you have a fancy dinner or event coming up that you might need an evening gown for? You can rent the evening gown for the night and return it when you’re done.

What are some surprising things that you can rent?

• Tools
• Clothes
• Power Equipment
• Trailers
• Vehicles
• Camera equipment
• Furniture
• Sports equipment
• Camping equipment

This is only a small list of the millions of things you could borrow from a friend or rent from a store. I’ve also lent some random items to people over the years too!

I know I’ve borrowed some strange things in my lifetime. What are some weird things you’ve had to borrow that I could add to my list?

Sell Things that You Aren’t Using

The next frugal way to save money is by selling items that you are no longer using.

Selling things that you no longer want is a twofold problem solver. On one side, you are selling things you no longer need and therefore, getting extra cash for them. On the other side, you are hopefully starting to take notice of the items in your household that you’re not using so you won’t buy them again.

What are some things you could sell?

• Furniture
• Clothes
• Kitchen ware
• Camping equipment
• Sports equipment
• Antiques
• Electronics
• Home decor
• Handbags
• Jewelry
• Kid’s clothes

However, don’t try and sell your old, dirty, stained, busted up items. If the product is not in good condition, nobody else is going to want it either. That’s something to keep in mind.

Sometimes, it’s hard to know where to sell items too. You could put it out front of your house with a “$20” makeshift cardboard sign on it, but you are then limited to the traffic that drives by your house. There’s also the possibility that someone could just come in and steal it. We don’t want that.

So, where are some places you can list your items that will generate more traffic?

Where can you sell your items?

• Facebook marketplace
• Apps like Poshmark or Mercari
• Yard sales
• Consignment shops
• Craigslist
• Amazon
• Friends

As always, when selling items directly, keep your safety in mind. Facebook Marketplace and Poshmark have great systems in place to ensure that both the seller and the buyer are protected from shipping scams. It’s not 100% (because nothing ever is), but I’ve been pretty happy with it.

You can also check with your local police station to see if they have an area in their parking lot that will allow you the exchange goods with your buyer.

Be smart and be safe out there!

What is one thing you are no longer using that you could sell for extra cash?

Use Cashback Apps

There are a million ways to earn cash back out there – on money you were already going to spend anyway. Credit cards are the first thing that probably come to mind, but did you know that there are cash back apps that will pay you to shop as well?

I live and breathe for cash back apps! They are seriously my favorite frugal way to save money!

Apps like Ibotta, Fetch, and Coupon Cabin are apps that will give you cash back for purchasing items that you were going to buy anyway. These cashback apps have a symbiotic relationship with companies, meaning that the cashback app will send customers to the company and in return, the company will then pay them for that lead. The cashback app will then take some of that money and give it to you – the customer!

(The internet world calls that affiliate marketing, the biology nerd in me calls it a symbiotic relationship).

I have saved HUNDREDS on items or services I was going to buy anyway by using the cashback apps I mentioned above. They’re seriously my favorite.

What are some items or services you can earn cash back on?

• Gift cards
• Clothing
• Hotels
• Flights
• Rental Cars
• Sport equipment
• Hardware
• Beauty products
• Card printing
• Restaurants

On top of getting cash back, you could also find a myriad of coupons and rebates available on all of those apps.

If you’re planning on spending the money anyway, you might as well get a little somethin-somethin back for doing it! Pair these cash back apps with your credit card cash back and boom! DOUBLE CASH BACK!

The Frugal Dreamer gets very excited at the idea of saving money. Duh. It’s in my name.

Are there any other apps out there that you use to get cash back? Leave me a comment because I’m always looking to find more!

For a complete guide on all my favorite cash back apps, check out the three best couponing apps from an extreme couponer!

Five Frugal Ways to Save Money

There are literally one million and one frugal ways to save money out there, I’ve only listed 5. I have plenty more where that came from but if I listed them all in one article, it would be too long for both of us.

So, to recap the 5 frugal ways to save money, we have:

• Cancel subscriptions
• Shop reuse it stores
• Borrow or rent items
• Sell items you are no longer using
• Use cash back apps

Remember that being frugal doesn’t mean that you don’t spend money, it just means that you are incredibly intentional and picky when it comes to where you spend your money. Don’t spend money on things that you won’t use or really just don’t like!

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Happy Saving everyone!

Want more frugal living hacks? Read these next!

• Start here to get your finances under control
• Frugal living for beginners
• 3 BEST coupon apps from an extreme couponer